Side Hustle: The Entrepreneur’s Training Ground
- Dominik Loncar
- Jun 1
- 4 min read
“Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” – John Wooden
Ten days ago, I did a side hustle workshop in St. John’s with Scott Andrews, Senior Business Development Manager. Last week, I toured three cities in Nova Scotia, promoting the benefits of starting a side hustle. David Eisnor, Futurpreneur’s Business Manager Team Lead for Atlantic Canada, and I presented in Halifax, New Glasgow, and Sydney. In all three locations, we received positive feedback—and, most importantly, provided participants with opportunities to connect with one another.
Currently, 28% of Canadians have a side hustle, up from 13% in 2022. Almost half of working adults are considering starting one—40% of Canadians are entertaining the idea.*
Some start a side hustle out of necessity to earn extra income, but for most, it’s the entrepreneurial itch. A side hustle allows you to test a hunch while minimizing financial risk.
“I Don’t Feel Like I’ve Started a Business”
Andres** wanted to start a side hustle as a math tutor for late high school and early university students.
“I don’t feel like I’ve started a business. I have to register my business, right? Should I incorporate?” he asked.
“Not at this point,” I replied. “I can pay you for services rendered under your personal name. There can be benefits to registering down the road, but there’s no need to rush. If anything, I’d recommend prioritizing getting insurance once you have enough customers.”
“But I heard I need a business number,” he said.
“Only if you make $30,000 a year or more in revenue.”
“Do I need to hire an accountant and purchase software?”
“It’s wise to have an accountant for your taxes, but for now, you don’t need sophisticated software. What’s more important is keeping track of your revenue and expenses. You’ll need to declare any excess revenue over expenses as business income.”
Just Get Started
Andres holds a Master’s in Mathematics from a recognized university. I advised him to focus on one thing: getting customers. He could achieve this by building credibility—getting results and collecting testimonials. A simple website or even a Facebook page would suffice.
Most importantly, I said: “Get out there and clearly communicate what you do, who you serve, and why you’re the person to deliver it.”
I continued: “Don’t overcomplicate things. Just get started. It won’t be perfect—it never is. Approach it in stages. You’re learning and growing into an entrepreneur.”
Entrepreneurship = Resourcefulness
The mindset of making the best use of minimal resources is the fastest path to understanding what it means to be resourceful. That’s at the heart of entrepreneurship.
Show me someone who can stretch $100 and make it work, and that person will know how to handle $1,000 and $10,000 even better. Show me someone who thinks $10,000 is their golden ticket, and I’ll show you someone heading for a hard lesson.
The Power of Testing
What makes side hustle businesses so appealing is that you can test your idea without overextending yourself financially.
Many clients I’ve worked with started as side hustlers and went on to run successful full-time businesses.
Side Hustle Takeaways
Here’s what participants took away from the workshops:
Focus on sales, not elaborate awareness campaigns when starting.
Fall in love with the problem, not your idea. The best way to do this? Serve a niche group of customers willing to pay for a solution.
Create a repeatable system—whether it’s your sales process, how you onboard clients, or how you deliver your product or service.
Test before spending. Iteration is key.
Track your money—maintain a simple method for recording income and expenses.
Be honest with yourself. If it doesn’t make financial sense, pivot or fold. No one forced you into this; you can always start something else.
Consistency Over Intensity
The real challenge with a side hustle? Starting and creating momentum.
We all know what it’s like to come home tired after work, only to feel the gravitational pull of a Netflix binge.
It’s not just about managing your time—it’s about managing your energy.
The best way I know to do that? Create ‘protected time.’
Establish a ritual (or routine) that becomes automatic. Block off time when you have the energy—say, Tuesday and Thursday nights after dinner, or Saturday afternoons after a walk. That becomes your 90-minute hustle window.
Guard that time. Don’t wait until you’re in the mood. Don’t wait until your website is up. Because that kind of waiting lasts forever.
Consistency is what truly matters.
Eighteen Months Later…
I reconnected with Andres 18 months later. He had a simple website and a steady client base.
He said, “Since we last spoke, I didn’t think much had happened. But I realized a lot has happened. I think it’s because I did something every week—even every day. In stages. In steps. I’m not sure I want to turn this into a full-time business, but I’ve grown into a better entrepreneur; something I never thought I could do.”
You Are Never Behind
Here’s the truth: The more you stay in your head—imagining and overanalyzing hurdles—the less likely you are to act.
Many workshop participants felt more connected to others just by sharing their ideas. One said, “I liked being able to break down the steps, and it was helpful to see that I wasn’t ‘behind.’”
You are not behind. You are exactly where you need to be.
The real question is: What is your next step?
It’s those daily actions—small, imperfect, and consistent—that will catapult your side hustle.
You’ve got this. Take your next step.
**Not their real name for confidentiality
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